Solar Eclipse Turns Sun Into 'Ring of Fire' This Week

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The moon will block the sun in a potentially spectacular solar
eclipse this week — a celestial event that will transform the sun
into a cosmic "ring of fire" in the daytime sky.

The ring-shaped solar
eclipse , known as an annular eclipse, will occur
Thursday and Friday (May 9 and 10) Eastern time. Weather
permitting, the eclipse will be visible in certain parts of
Australia and the Southern Pacific Ocean, where the local time
will be Friday.

"Solar eclipses can be inspirational to students and others, so
it is interesting to have everyone view the eclipse, but only
safe methods of viewing should be used," Jay Pasachoff, an
astronomer at Williams College and chair of the International
Astronomical Union's working group on eclipses, said in a
statement. [ See
Spectacular Photos of a 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse ]

While nearly 95 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon at
the eclipse's peak, the sky will not be noticeably darker to the
naked eye at any point, explained Williams College officials in
Williamstown, Mass.

For this reason, special protective lenses, camera and telescope
filters and other methods of protection should be used in order
to
safely watch the eclipse even during full annularity, when
the sun is silhouetting the moon.

The path of annularity passes through parts of Papua New Guinea,
the Solomon Islands, and Western Australia, the Northern
Territory and Queensland in Australia. Other nearby parts of the
world will be able to see a partial solar eclipse, if weather
permits.

The Hawaiian Islands, other parts of Australia, the southern
Philippines, eastern Indonesia, other areas in Papua New Guinea
and a small part of New Zealand will get at least a partial show,
Williams College officials said.

The entire world should be able to catch a glimpse of the annular
eclipse thanks to the online Slooh Space Camera. Slooh will host
a webcast featuring expert commentary and views of the eclipse on
Thursday starting at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT). You can
watch the broadcast live on SPACE.com.

During annular solar eclipses, the moon casts a shadow on the
face of the Earth when it passes between the planet and the star.
Because of its orbit, however, the moon still appears about 4.5
percent smaller than the sun, creating the distinct ring in the
sky, Joe Rao, a SPACE.com contributor and meteorologist said.

This week's solar eclipse comes on the heels of a
partial lunar eclipse that shadowed the moon above Central
Asia, Western Australia, Eastern Europe and Africa. Another
minor lunar eclipse will occur on May 24.

These aren't the only eclipses of 2013. On Nov. 3, a rare hybrid
solar eclipse — an annular eclipse that transitions into a total
eclipse — will be visible in the northern Atlantic Ocean and into
equatorial Africa.

WARNING: Never look directly at the sun during
an eclipse with a telescope or your unaided eye. Severe eye
damage can result and scientists use special filters to safely
view the sun.

Editor's note: If you live in the observing area
of Thursday's solar eclipse and safely snap an amazing picture of
the sun that you'd like to share for a possible story or image
gallery, send photos, comments and your name and location to
managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.